Wiper system for cleaning inkjet printheads in inkjet printers

Abstract

A wiper configuration enables a single wiper to clean a faceplate of a printhead in a printer without requiring solvent to prepare the printhead faceplate. The wiper configuration includes a wiper having a hooked end, a mounting bar, and a reinforcing bar. The wiper has two flanges that form a recess that receives the mounting bar so the wiper can be mounted to the mounting bar without the use of threaded members or other fasteners. A pivot in the mounting member is positioned at a predetermined distance from the hooked end of the wiper that is approximately ten times the radius of the internal curvature of the hooked end.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A wiper comprising:
 a wiper body that terminates in a hooked end; 
 a pair of flanges extending from the wiper body that are separated from one another by a predetermined distance, each flange having a curved end to form a C-shaped opening between the flanges. 
 
     
     
       2. The wiper of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a pointed end positioned on the wiper body at an end opposite the hooked end and adjacent to one of the flanges. 
 
     
     
       3. A printhead wiping assembly comprising:
 a wiper having a body that terminates in a hooked end, a pair of flanges extending from the wiper body that are separated from one another by a predetermined distance, each flange having a curved end to form a C-shaped opening between the flanges, and a pointed end positioned on the wiper body at an end opposite the hooked end and adjacent to one of the flanges; 
 a mounting member positioned within the C-shaped opening between the flanges, the mounting member having a length along its longitudinal axis that is longer than a length of the wiper body along its longitudinal axis; 
 a mechanism operatively connected to the mounting member to move the hooked end of the wiper body into and out of engagement with a faceplate of a printhead; and 
 a translating mechanism to move the hooked end of the wiper body along the faceplate of the printhead to wipe at least a portion of the faceplate. 
 
     
     
       4. The printhead wiping assembly of  claim 3  further comprising:
 a reinforcing member extending from the mounting member between the curved ends of the flanges. 
 
     
     
       5. The printhead wiping assembly of  claim 4  wherein the reinforcing member is mounted to the mounting member with at least one threaded member, a head of the at least one threaded member being adjacent the body of the wiper. 
     
     
       6. The printhead wiping assembly of  claim 3  wherein the mechanism that moves the hooked end of the wiper body into and out of engagement with the faceplate of the printhead is a first rotating mechanism. 
     
     
       7. The printhead wiping assembly of  claim 6 , the first rotating mechanism further comprising:
 a bracket operatively connected to the mounting member, the bracket being positioned about a pivot member; and 
 at least one actuator operatively connected to the bracket, the at least one actuator being configured to rotate the bracket about the pivot member to rotate the mounting member and the wiper to engage and disengage the faceplate of the printhead with the wiper. 
 
     
     
       8. The printhead wiping assembly of  claim 7 , the mounting member being further configured with a U-shaped at each end, and the assembly further comprising:
 a pair of members, each member having at least one opening; and 
 at least a pair of threaded members, one threaded member passes through the at least one opening of one of the members into the bracket to secure one end of the mounting member and wiper to the bracket and the other threaded member passes through the at least one opening of the other one of the members into another bracket of another rotating mechanism to secure the other end of the mounting member and wiper to the other bracket. 
 
     
     
       9. The printhead wiping assembly of  claim 8  wherein a distance from the hooked end of the wiper to the pivot member is approximately ten times a radius of internal curvature of the hooked end of the wiper. 
     
     
       10. The printhead wiping assembly of  claim 7 , the actuator and the bracket of the first rotating mechanism being further configured to adjust a vertical position of the wiper. 
     
     
       11. The printhead wiping assembly of  claim 7 , the first rotating mechanism further comprising:
 a rack operatively connected to the bracket; and 
 the translating mechanism further comprising:
 at least one actuator having a drive and a gear mounted to the drive, the rack of the rotating mechanism being positioned adjacent to the gear to enable the gear to engage the rack and move the bracket along a linear path to wipe the faceplate of the printhead with the wiper. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The printhead wiping assembly of  claim 11 , the translating mechanism further comprising:
 a guide positioned to urge the rack to remain in engagement with the gear. 
 
     
     
       13. The printhead wiping assembly of  claim 7  further comprising:
 a controller configured to operate the at least one actuator in the first rotating mechanism to rotate the wiper between a first position and a second position and to operate the at least one actuator in the translating mechanism to move the wiper across the faceplate of the printhead when the wiper is at the second position. 
 
     
     
       14. The printhead wiping assembly of  claim 13  further comprising:
 another wiper having a body that terminates in a hooked end, a pair of flanges extending from the other wiper body that are separated from one another by a predetermined distance, each flange of the other wiper having a curved end to form a C-shaped opening between the flanges, and a pointed end positioned on the wiper body at an end opposite the hooked end and adjacent to one of the flanges; 
 another mounting member positioned within the C-shaped opening of the other wiper between the flanges, the mounting member having a length along its longitudinal axis that is longer than a length of the wiper body along its longitudinal axis; 
 a second rotating mechanism operatively connected to the other mounting member, the second rotating mechanism having at least one other actuator configured to rotate the other wiper between the first position and the second position to move the hooked end of the other wiper body into and out of engagement with the faceplate of the printhead; and 
 the controller being further configured to:
 operate the at least one actuator in the first rotating mechanism to rotate the wiper to the first position; 
 operate the at least one actuator in the second rotating mechanism to rotate the other wiper to the second position; 
 operate the at least one actuator in the translating mechanism to reverse movement of the other wiper across the faceplate of the printhead when the other wiper is at the second position. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The printhead wiping assembly of  claim 13  wherein the hooked end of the wiper when the wiper is at the second position is close to the faceplate, but the hooked end does not engage the faceplate. 
     
     
       16. The printhead wiping assembly of  claim 13 , the controller is further configured to:
 operate the at least one actuator in the first rotating mechanism to rotate the wiper to a third position where the hooked end of the wiper engages the faceplate; and 
 operate the at least one actuator in the translating mechanism to move the wiper across the faceplate of the printhead while the hooked end engages the faceplate.